Sendai

3M Sendai City Science Museum

A science museum with a focus on science and technology, natural history, and everyday life where you can experience scientific principles and laws through hands-on exhibits and stimulate your creativity.

Tue-Sun 09:00-16:45 (entry until 16:00) except the 4th Thu (with variations around holidays)·Adult ¥550, high school ¥320, younger students ¥210

Bansui Sōdō

晩翠草堂

The former residence of Bansui Doi, a famous poet and scholar of English Literature in Japan, but generally unknown to non-Japanese. Best known for writing the lyrics to "Kōjō no Tsuki" (荒城の月, "The Moon over the Ruined Castle").

Tue-Sun 09:00-17:00

Benyland

This is a fun little amusement park. It's not exactly Disneyland, but you can have a fun few hours on the roller coasters and other rides.

Ichimuan

一夢庵

Ichimuan specializes in Kyoto Haute cuisine (kaiseki) while utilizing fine Sendai produce. The restaurant also has a teppanyaki grill counter seats where visitors can enjoy fine Sendai beef. The view from the 37th floor is pretty impressive. Lunch is buffet style. Reservations essential (to avoid disappointment).

lunch 11:30-14:00 (last order), dinner 17:30-21:30 (last order)·Lunch starts from ¥3234. Dinner courses start from ¥6930. À la carte is also available

Kaki Toku

かき徳

Miyagi and Hiroshima are famous for oysters, and Kaki Toku, which has been running since 1927, is one of the area's most renowned oyster restaurants.

Mon-Fri 11:30-14:00, 17:00-20:00; Sat 11:30-20:00; Sun 11:30-21:00. Special hours on holidays·¥3000

Kameki Sushi

亀喜寿司

Some locals believe it is the best sushi restaurant in Japan. Uses exclusively locally caught fish. No credit cards.

Wed-Mon 11:00-21:00·¥5,250 for a full course

Mitsukoshi Food Court

The department store food court is an excellent place to sample Sendai's specialties.

Miyagi Museum of Art

宮城県美術館

A reasonable collection of modern art. Special room for Juryo Sato, a local (but nationally famous) sculptor. Beautiful garden and a nice view of the river. The museum has been closed for renovations since June 2023.

Oden Sankichi

おでん三吉

This restaurant specializes in oden, a Japanese fish stew of sorts with ingredients slowly simmered for hours if not days in a soy broth. Goes well with beer or sake, and especially popular in winter.

Mon-Sat 18:00-23:00, closed holidays·¥3600 small oden (2 servings)

Rikyu

利久

A famous chain of gyūtan restaurants. Order the teishoku (set meal) - this includes meat, pickles, barley rice, leek, and a clear oxtail soup with real tail.

¥1000

Rinno-ji

輪王寺

An historic temple with ponds and a large traditional garden, which is especially attractive when the azaleas are in bloom.

SS30 Building Observation Lounge

This office tower has an observation deck on the 29th and 30th floors, which is open and free to the public.

Sankyozawa Electric Centennial Museum (Sankyozawa 100 Year Electric Historical Center)

Tohokudenryoku Sankyozawa Denki Hyakunenkan, 東北電力 三居沢電気百年館

The birthplace of hydroelectric power generation in Japan and features a functioning century-old hydroelectric plant (operating in a demonstration capacity) that remains connected to the power grid. In addition to being able to view the hydroelectric turbines in operation, a small museum and children's exploration area is on-site, albeit in Japanese-only. Immediately adjacent to the hydroelectric facility is the Sankyozawa Traffic Park and a Shinto shrine. Note that the museum frequently hosts visiting engineering delegations so don't be surprised if the museum suddenly gets crowded.

Tue-Sun 10am-4pm·Free

Sankyozawa Traffic Park

三居沢交通公園, Minamikoizumi Traffic Park

An unusual park intended for children and school groups to learn traffic rules in Japan in a simulated city environment, complete with traffic signals and pedestrian walk signs. Free bike rentals are available for children.

Tue-Sun 09:00-16:00·Free

Sendai (Aoba) Castle Ruins

仙台城跡

Often recommended by locals, though there isn't much to see beyond the old castle walls and a nice view over the modern city. There's a replica of a gate and a statue of the founder of the city, Date Masumune. However, the ruins of Sendai Castle is the theme of a famous poem written by Doi Bansui called "Kojo no Tsuki" ('The Moon over the desolate castle'). In the poem, the author touchingly invites us to reflect on the impermanence of all life, which is represented by the ruins of the once great castle caught in the light of the full moon. The poem has been put to music and is famous throughout Japan. There is a food court and a small museum on-site.

Sendai Aoba-Tei

A high quality gyūtan restaurant. Menu has pictures, though it may be not easy to guess what is gyūtan. Around noon, be prepared to queue.

Closed · opens 11 am·Plate around ¥1400

Sendai City Museum

仙台市博物館

Houses a range of items relating to the city's history. Note that it is closed for renovations until approximately April 2024.

Sendai Mediatheque

せんだいメディアテーク

This building was designed by Toyo Ito and is an important piece of contemporary architecture. Take a look at the outstanding structure while enjoying the design shop on the ground level. On the 5th and 6th floor there are free art galleries and studio spaces with temporary exhibitions, as well as photos of the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.

Statue of Kannon (the Bodhisattva of Compassion)

仙台大観音, Sendai Daikannon

At the time of its construction, the 100-m-high statue was the tallest in the world. It is ranked 5th as of 2021. For a small fee, visitors can enter the statue and make offerings to the Buddhist statues and artifacts that are displayed throughout the 12 storeys. As Kannon is the Buddhist representation of compassion, the statue was built facing the city of Sendai with the aim of bringing peace and harmony to the city. From Sendai Station, take buses 815 or 825 (bound for Nishi-Nakayama) or X910 (bound for Shie Bus-Sanezawa-Eigyoshomae) and alight at 'Sendai-Daikonnon-mae'.

The Museum of the Forest of Depths of the Earth

地底の森ミュージアム

The museum of the stone age. In the museum, restoration exhibition of that time is carried out based on the data discovered from public presentation and there are the ruins of 20,000-year-old Saki's Old Stone Age unearthed from Tomizawa ruins (富沢遺跡).

¥400, ¥200 for students, ¥100 for kids

Tohoku University Botanical Gardens

東北大学植物園

Botanical garden with 800+ species, with a focus on willows and alpine plants.

Spring Equinox Day until November 30·¥230 for adults, ¥110 for children

Tohoku University Museum of Natural History

東北大学総合学術博物館, Tōhoku Daigaku Sōgō Gakujutsu Hakubutsukan

Showcases a wide array of specimens from the university's research in earth sciences, featuring complete skeletons of a Stegosaurus, Fukuiraptor, and a Sei whale, alongside a comprehensive collection of fossils and minerals that illustrate 2 billion years of evolution and Earth's changes.

Free

Yagiyama Zoo

八木山動物公園

Elephants, lions, bears, tigers! Mingle with the rabbits. Coin lockers available.

¥400, ¥100 for kids

Zuihoden

瑞鳳殿

Mausoleum of Date Maasamune, first lord of Sendai Domain. Zuihoden was designed in the ornate style of the Momoyama Period. The original complex was destroyed during World War II, but has been rebuilt and is in a dense forest (which survived the war; many of the trees are over 300 years old). It features intricate woodwork and a rich variety of vivid colors. Massive cedar trees surround the paths in the area, and are meant to symbolize the long history of the Date clan. A museum beside the Zuihoden main building shows some of the personal artifacts of the Date family, and even some specimens of their bones and hair.

09:00-16:00 or 16:30·¥550

Ōsaki Hachiman Shrine

大崎八幡宮

Completed in 1607, and is designated a national treasure. The metal ornaments and colorful designs displayed against the black lacquer woodwork is an especially attractive feature.

Aoba Castle Honmaru Museum

本丸会館

A small one-room museum and theatre dedicated to the Aoba Castle & Masamune Date. A 15-minute historical documentary on the castle and Masamune Date is shown every hour. The exhibition and film are exclusively in Japanese, and the museum is of little interest to non-Japanese speakers.

Museum ¥700 (¥500 with Sendai Area Pass)

Benitora Gyoza-bo

紅虎餃子房

Chinese dishes (spicy). Located to the north of the AER building by Sendai station. Cross the pedestrian bridge and look for the big red kanji (means 'red tiger').

Club Shaft

A DJ/live band club and sports bar pub founded by Julian from England. Great atmosphere. World food and beers.

18:00-late

E'z Bar

This place is a little hard to find but worth the search. It's within 5 minutes of the big Don Quixote store in Kokubuncho, so don't go too far when you're looking for it. The owner, Hatakeyama-san, speaks perfect English as he lived in New Zealand for a year. Half the fun of ordering a cocktail at this place is watching the bartender cut a block of ice down for your drink!

Fredrick Pantry

A shop and small restaurant specializing in organic and vegetarian food.